CONSPIRACY THEORY IN TURKEY politics and protest in the age of 'post-truth';politics and protest in the age of 'post-truth'

"Turkey is witnessing an era of political upheaval. From the Gezi protests in 2013 to the attempted military coup of 2016, the concept of 'post-truth' plays a significant role in Turkish politics today. In the chaos of conspiracy theories, hidden enemies and post-coup purges, the unreal merges with the real, fuelling political repression and anti-government sentiment alike. Julian de Medeiros here analyses the many unfolding challenges of Erdogan's New Turkey, and shows how a fixedly Turkish-style of 'post-truth' has taken root. Examining the relationship between conspiracy theory and 'post-truth', this book sheds light on the strategies of political paranoia that threaten to undermine the success of Turkey's democratic model. De Medeiros argues that both the Gezi protests and the failed coup attempt need to be considered alongside the emerging anti-democratic and conspiratorial tendencies of an increasingly authoritarian Turkish government. As Turkish democracy continues to evolve with breath-taking speed and unpredictable outcomes, de Medeiros shows how the rise of paranoid politics in Turkey constitutes part of a global trend towards post-truth narratives. He situates Turkish democracy as subject to a global resurgence of strongman leadership and antagonistic populism. Conspiracy Theory in Turkey presents the very first critical account of the Turkish model of a 'post-truth politics'. Through a counter-intuitive analysis of conspiracy theory and paranoid politics the book disentangles the real from the unreal and chronicles the emergence of post-truth in Turkey today."--Bloomsbury Publishing "Turkey is witnessing an era of political upheaval. From the Gezi protests in 2013 to the attempted military coup of 2016, the concept of 'post-truth' plays a significant role in Turkish politics today. In the chaos of conspiracy theories, hidden enemies and post-coup purges, the unreal merges with the real, fuelling political repression and anti-government sentiment alike. Julian de Medeiros here analyses the many unfolding challenges of Erdoğan's New Turkey, and shows how a fixedly Turkish-style of post-truth has taken root. This book sheds light on the strategies of political paranoia that threaten to undermine the success of Turkey's democratic model. De Medeiros argues that both the Gezi protests and the failed coup attempt need to be considered alongside the emerging anti-democratic and conspiratorial tendencies of an increasingly authoritarian Turkish government. As Turkish democracy continues to evolve with breath-taking speed adn unpredictable outcomes, de Medeiros shows how the rise of paranoid politics in Turkey constitutes part of a global trend towards post-truth narratives. He situates Turkish democracy as subject to a global resurgence of strongman leadership and antagonistic populism. Conspiracy Theory in Turkey presents the very first critical account of the Turkish model of a post-truth politics. Through a counter-intuitive analysis of conspiracy theory and paranoid politics the book disentangles the real from the unreal and chronicles the emergence of post-truth in Turkey today"--Back cover Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents Acknowledgements Introduction Conspiracy Theory in Turkish Politics Main Aims and Themes Main Argument and Relationship to Existing Literature Research Objectives 1. Re-Framing Conspiracy Theory in Turkey Conspiracy of Winners, Not Losers Exploring the Logic of Conspiracy Contingent Necessity, Necessary Contingency Conclusion: Real Conspiracy, Conspiracy of the Real 2. The Conspiracy Frame Introduction: Identifying the Conspiracy Frame Protesting the Frame, Framing the Protest The Paranoiac’s Problematic, Problematizing Paranoia Framing Time: Frozen Conflicts, Peace Frames and Revolutionary Time The Conspiratorial Peace Frame Liberating Time Conditions Of, Not For, Access to Truth Conclusion: Conspiracy Theory, the Frame that Frames the Frame 3. Conspiracy Theory and the 2016 Coup Attempt Introduction Not All Coups are Created Equal New Turkey, Old Enemies Underground, Above-ground Post-coup Elite Framing of Conspiracy State of Emergency, State of Conspiracy Questions to be Asked, Lessons to be Learned Conclusion 4. Conspiracy Theory, Strongman Politics and the Gezi Spirit Introduction: Spirit of the Strongman Leader Democracy and the Strongman Leader The Uncanny of the Strongman Leader The Gezi Spirit Articulation of Momentum, Momentous Articulation Redeeming the Gezi Spirit Conclusion Conclusion Conspiracy Theory, Theory of Conspiracy Parallel, Paralysed: Making Sense of Turkey’s Conspiratorial Politics Final Views on the Experience Notes Bibliography Index